First day of the 23rd Forum 2000 Conference “Recovering the promise of 1989” took place today at Žofín Palace in Prague. Panelists and participants discussed several topics: six decades on communism in Cuba, the future of Hong Kong, future of liberal democracy, threats of current technologies to our freedoms and security and the importance of civic responsibility. The Conference was attended by more than eight dozen figures from political and social life, among them Sikyong of the Tibetan Government in exile, Lobsang Sangay, Yemeni human rights activist and Nobel Peace Price Laureate, Tawakkol Karman, former Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová or Editor-in-Chief of the Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Adam Michnik.
Alexandr Vondra, Member of European Parliament during the panel discussion “30 Years of Czech Human Rights Policy Abroad: Achievements and New Challenges“: “30 years ago, we were lucky: We had a generation of new political leaders and for them fighting for democracy was not just an abstract concept but the way of life”.
